I thought it was runway capacity not terminal capacity at LHR that is currently the choke-point so it is interesting a new temporary terminal is required.

LHR planning for a 50% peak time increase during the Olympic period. The LHR site says it is for athletes however other sites believe it will be for anyone connected with the olympics so dignitaries and polititians alike with the peak day being after the closing ceremony.

After the T5 debacle one wonders if BAA will be able to deliver it on time, especially the baggage element which is destined to be problematic from excess amounts and specialist kit, especially firearms, being carried by athletes. However if it is done on time, am sure the people who use it will breeze through immigration and customs.

I can well understand the need to collect and deal with baggage in advance however the fact that not one of the LHR terminals can handle the passenger flow it testement to just how bad LHR is.

We are afterall not talking about extra flights, the capaicty of the runways drive this. Consequently the passenger throughput numbers cannot be significantly higher than a normal peak day.

Even if every carrier wished to operate a 747 in lieu of a 319, BAA are able to refuse if the passenger hourly flow rate limit were exceeded.

One can only be very worried about how LHR will cope before during and after the games. Will UKBA staff be sent to clear athletes in the prefab leaving the rest of humanity in 3 hour immigration queues. Great for athletes and no doubt the PR for BAA as they are seen to being hadnled quickly and efficiently.

BAA should be providing assurances that those of us lucky enough to have failed to get tickets will be able to leave the country unhindered and return without having to endure the sort of queues I saw on a cold November night last year with just 65% load factors!!!

“Even those not interested or attempt to try to get in or out of London during the event will be adversely impacted and need the patience of a saint.”

Hahahahahah…lol !!!” wow would never of thought of that!!!

How long has the country known about this???? you forget that the dates the school summer hols so schools are breaking up. Lots of people are taking time off work but not necessarily y to go fly away but to stay home for a few days, companies are giving staff the chance to work from home myself included!!

I intend to get as far away as possible. During the cycle race test things were a nightmare as the shut roads for hours even when they were not cycling on them. Traffic will be horrendous, you know everything will be Olympics bonkers and every hustler on the planet including the various arms of the government will be trying make every penny out of it they can. Nightmare…. GO a long way away and if you like Sports watch it in 3D HDTV without the crowds…

Although I am a fan of the Olympics and I’m glad that London won I do think the planning of the transport infrastructure around the event has been poor. The special Olympic road lanes are already causing resentment and as RichHI1 above has said during some of the test events traffic congestion was awful.

Regretfully the inevitable problems which will be blown out of all proportion by the British (we told you it would go wrong) press will result in a poor review of the games.

I’m staying well away from London during the Olympics. Not really interested anyway especially now it has become so commercial and you’re forced to pay with the right credit card and drink the sponsors drinks. if there is something to watch it will be on the TV.

I am looking forward to watchng some product hijacking and to reading the Daily Mail when Mr. Middle Class eats a Burger King and drinks a Pepsi as he walks past the stadium on the way back from work and some overzealous official confiscates it from him!!!

I’m not looking forward to the Olympics at all. Despite my best efforts I have not been able to secure any tickets, so ideally given the general level of congestion it is going to cause I’d rather not have to go anywhere near London while it’s on.

However at the moment I work in London during the week. The hotel I normally use (a Marriott) is already telling me that they wont let me stay for anything less than double our usual corporate rate while the Olympics is on. The hotel I normally use as a backup (a Holiday Inn nearby) is saying they are fully booked and if they weren’t the rate would also be 60% more than usual. This means that my company wont pay for a room. I have many colleagues who are finding the same problem.

I’m not impressed. These hotels will be making a tidy profit from pushing out their regular customers who support them the rest of the time, and our business is going to be seriously disrupted for at least 2 weeks as a result, I bet that wasn’t costed into the budget for the event!